Sun Devils stumble but come out on top against Idaho State

(Photo: Spencer Barnes/WCSN)

TEMPE – Leading up to the start of the 2024-2025 season, there has been a lot of buzz and anticipation following the Arizona State basketball’s more than exciting offseason, as ASU put together the country’s No. 9 ranked recruiting class, according to 247 Sports, including standouts center Jayden Quaintance and guard Joson Sanon. The new-look Sun Devils faced Idaho State in their first Big 12 regular-season game on Tuesday night.

The season opener was anticipated to be a confidence boost for the squad after a more than disappointing performance in the team’s first scrimmage against top-ranked Duke, losing to the powerhouse 103-47 in a game that was a complete disaster.

Tuesday’s game looked exactly like a first game of the season. ASU (1-0) showed flashes of what it could be and the potential of their high-profile recruiting class, but ASU also revealed what could hamper them this season. A win against a much lower opponent in Idaho State (0-1) was expected, but despite being favored by double digits, the Sun Devils would win this one by only a score of 55-48.

“We were doing bizarre stuff out there on offense, just throwing the ball around, out of bounds,” head coach Bobby Hurley said. “We couldn’t get the ball in bounds, and it was a play where we almost got a three-point play after it got deflected. It was balls bouncing around, and it’s just like chaos at times. We have a lot to improve, a lot to get better.”

ASU started flat, going scoreless for the first three minutes, and after a 3-pointer by Bengal senior forward Isaiah Griffin, the Bengals jumped to an unexpected 11-3 lead. After starting 5-for-7 from the field, Idaho State jumped out quickly.

That would be the Bengals’ biggest lead of the game, as the Sun Devils settled in fast. Following a sequence of events that included a lob dunk from Junior center Shawn Phillips Jr and a 3-pointer from Senior guard Adam Miller to cap off an ASU 7-0 run, the Sun Devils began to find their groove.

The glaring issue in the blowout against Duke was ASU’s lack of gametime together as a squad, which was more than evident as the offense never clicked in that game. The same could have been said at points in the first half against Idaho State, At 7:30 in the 1st half, ASU was 6-for-17 from the field with five turnovers, and Quaintance, one of ASU’s rare standouts versus Duke, went scoreless in the first half.

“I think the hardest part is where we’re at right now is we’ve got so many transfers and new guys coming in,” senior guard Alston Mason said. “We still got coach (Hurley) trying to fill us out where he can incorporate us in the offense and defense. The hardest part is chemistry and coming together as a team, I think that’s what we have to figure out more and do that.”

Fortunately for the Sun Devils, the Bengals were having an even harder time finding their offensive stroke. Contributing to an ASU 8-0 run, Idaho State went 0-for-8 from the field, and back-to-back Mason three-pointers made it 22-16. The Bengals stretched that slump to 0-for-13 and had an eight-minute scoring drought before a free throw at the one-minute mark finally ended it.

The Bengals finished the half two-for-19 shooting, a disastrous cold streak that saw the Sun Devils lead 31-20 at halftime, highlighted by new transfers. Mason had double digit first half points and senior forward BJ Freeman added six points, four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, doing everything off the bench in his team debut.

The issues ASU faced in the first half appeared to continue in the second half, but Quaintance started the second half after playing only five minutes in the first. He continued to struggle on the offensive end, missing a jumper and allowing an offensive rebound in the first few minutes. Quaintance would finish the game with only a single rebound, contributing to Idaho State’s 16-8 offensive rebounding advantage throughout the game.

Where Quaintance was able to pick up his slack was on the defensive end, two blocks early in the second half stamped his interior presence in this game. He would end up with six total blocks in a game that Hurley knows will be a learning experience for the freshmen.

“He was lost out there on offense, and we got to point him in the right direction again,” Hurley said. “I haven’t seen that from him, so I’m gonna try and figure out why he looked the way he did on offense. He had an impact not only on the blocks but challenging on those contests with his wingspan.”

With the exception of a few standout plays, like a block by Phillips Jr. that resulted in a fastbreak layup to increase the lead to 39-26, ASU’s offense did not improve in the second half. The Sun Devils finished with just 24 points in the half.

The Sun Devils went 6-for-12 from three in the first half, but in the second half, they only made one from beyond the arc and were 1-for-12, which would be the deciding factor in the Bengals’ ability to get back into the game.

A lead that had grown to 41-29 faded and plummeted as it appeared like the Sun Devils were on the verge of imploding, as the Bengals cut the advantage all the way back to one, as a few free throws put the game at 45-44 Sun Devils with five minutes to go.

“Myself and my staff got to do a better job to get them ready to play the second half,” Hurley said. “It was just flat. We let them hang around.”

That would be as close as Idaho State got in the second half, as the offensive talent gap showed in the final minutes of the game, with the Bengals going scoreless in the final 2:41 of the game. Two Mason free throws iced the game, 55-48.

Despite the win, Hurley and the Sun Devils will undoubtedly leave this game disappointed. ASU was favored by more than double digits coming into this game, and a 55-point final score, 36% from the field, and 14 turnovers speaks numbers about how they performed today.

Moving forward, ASU will face the Santa Clara Broncos on Friday, a much better opponent overall than Idaho State, and a test in which ASU must make progress toward improving some of the ugly aspects of today’s game if they are to have a shot at a second win in the new season.

“Nine new players, right?” Freeman said. “It’s kind of tough, but it ain’t nothing that we can’t get past. Coach always worships being a good teammate, doing what he wants us to do, and executing the game plan.We know we got some tough games coming up Friday and Sunday. So like (Mason) said, go back to the drawing board and get ready to execute whatever coach says.”